Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-06-09
A TRIP TO GETTYSBURG.
Nv Herman Ruchner.

minds OF the public to hear more from
Gettysburg. Orators. lecturers and
poets seem to have done the subject
ample justice. / believed there was
nothing more 20 be told or written,
which could be OF interest except. per-
haps,to those who assisted in raising the
village of Gettysburg out of obscuritY.
on the first, second and third days of
July 1868. Therefore was very much
surprised when learned that it was ex-
pected that some account OF the trip OF
the commission was desired by the pub
lie Of Grant county. must confess that
| undertake this task with great timidity
and apprehension.
1t is generally understood that by
Chapter 4S, of the Laws of 1887, the
legislature appropriated for the use Of
tho Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial
Association the sum Of 81 500, and also
$1,000 each to the I'd, Sd, 5th. 9th. 9TH
and Goth Wisconsin Regiments, and
$500 to Company b. of Berdan's Sharp
shooters, to defray the expense of erect
ing suitable memorial stones cemmem-
orative of the services done by said
regiments in said battle.
The Governor was directed to appoint
three members out of each organization
that had participated in the battle.
whose duty it should be to visit the
battlefield of Gettysburg, select sites
for the monuments and contract for
their construction and erection upon
the sites selected. The names of the
commissioners appointed have hereto
fore been published. All the appointees
accepted their commission except G. M.
Woodward Of La Crosse, member of
the I'd Regiment, who was the Demo
cratic candidate for governor at the last
guberDatorial election, opposing Gov.
Rusk, and of course was beaten. |
cannot state that this was the ground
for his refusal to accept. The vacancy
was filled by the appointment of II. B.
Harshaw, state treasurer. Pursuant TO
appointment the full commission met'
at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago
on May I'd. Governor Rusk, Senator
Sawyer, Charles b. Clark of Neenah,
Congressman-elect from the sixth dis
trict, also Miss Sally Fairchild, daugh-
ter of General Fairchild, Mrs. ii. b.
Harshaw of Madison, Mrs. Henry Cur
ran of Stevens Point. and Mrs. II. j.
Huntington of Green Bay, wives of the
commissioners of same name, were
also OF the party. Our efficient Quarter
master negotiating with the Pennsyl-
vania Central X. II. succeeded in obtain
ing two Pullman sleepers for the ex-
elusive use of our party, and of several
other Wisconsin people who were on
pilgrimage to the shrine OF the nation.
Our stay in Chicago was necessarily
brief and entirely out of proportion
with the bill for the accommodations at
the Grand Pacific.
At 3:15 D. M we took leave of Chicago
without much regret on our part. We
arrived at Fort Wayne ut p. M, AZ
which place an excellent supper had
been prepare led for us. We regretted
that the inevitable 'all aboard of the
conductor rang through the dining hall
as soon as it did. At $50 q. m. (by
Central time) on the Sd we arrived at
the smoky city, Pittsburgh. Here we
found that by eastern time our watches
were an hour behind. 1t was 1880 p.
m. The Pennsylvania Central railroad
track traverses over the most pictures
que part of Pennsylvania. 1t pene-
trates the great gas and coal regions.
Through the greater part of the state
gas seemed drug in the market, gas
wells and gas jets were burning at all
times of the day-evidently there were
no gas bills to pay. Some OF our party
having ascertained that, attached to
our sleeper, was the special car of Queen
Kapiolani. wife OF King Kalakua of the
Sandwich Islands, and her daughter,
Princess Liliuakalini, and suite. The
idea was suggested that a reception
might be had en- the train il the Cover
nor wot4ld take the initiative. Gov.
Rusk accordingly. by general request,
finally dispatched General Rogers to
the queen with his compliments, in
forming her that the Governor of the
State of Wisconsin, Senator Sawyer
and Congressman Clark and number
OF renowned warriors of the State would
be pleased to pay their respects To the
Queen and Princess. Accordingly the
response came that her dusky majesty
would be pleased to receive us. Con-
Quoted by General Rogers, who was
master of ceremonies. line was then
formed and each individual was form
ally introduced by name and was ac-
knowledged by = slight bow of the head.
and thus ended the reception The
Queen and Princess were both attired in
plain black merino, small black bonnets,
evidently they had just come over,
otherwise their hats would have had
time to grow in size,) both had full
round faces and their complexion was
of butternut color, straight black
IL
lips, features were more of the Indian
type than African; jewelry being in
visible.
After passing over the Cumberland
mountains, full of varied and beautiful
scenery, we arrived at Harrisburg for
dinner. Comrade Sanford, of the
Manitowoc Tribune, suggested that
some changes might be made before the